Stepping In
by Dispatch22705
Summary: AU! Long OneShot Brennan is 22 and she meets Booth as he is participating in a study on sexuality in men. She asks him if he'll consider being her first lover. I'll let you guess whether or not he says yes. AU Alternate Universe. M-Rated for smut and talk


Hello, Hello!

A couple of things:

This story is AU! I've never really done one like this, but I got the idea last year from a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful story by cathmarchr called Hot for Teacher. It's in my favorites.

SHE wrote that story based on a prompt from beloved BONES fanfic writer SSJL (who, if she happens to read this, should know that I would love to see "Family Man" updated and she should be glad to know this is a "Folds" free story!

The prompt is this…

**"Booth/Brennan, AU timeline-wise, virginity. Booth gets to 22-year-old Bren before Michael Stires (we all KNOW it was that smug bastard-*scowls*)...and provides her with a skilled and thorough introduction to sexytiemz."**

I first posted this on a site called BONESOLOGY, which is a fun fan forum for BONES fans actually created and operated by...BONES fans! It's cool! They have an awesome idea going where they choose a fanfic and it's discussed in their 'book club' So I guess this is also a little commercial for them (and me, I guess), because this week (so March 2nd, at 9 PM EST) their 'book club selection' is Fantasy Week: Booth Edition, by yours truly.

I've never had a story of mine discussed in a group like that. So I'm kind of nervous, kind of excited and already blushing. You should join!

For now, let's do this one!.

**This is def rated M for mature; for sex, language and frank sex talk. Basically, they say the F word and they do the F word, though I think it's also kind of sweet! You be the judge!**

**-s&t-**

"Son of a bitch," Seeley grumbled as he pulled up to the house. The line of cars along the normally quiet street, the litter of beer cans in the yard, the bright lights from the downstairs and dimmer lights from random upstairs bedrooms could only mean one thing. Jared was having a party.

He had half a mind to just turn around and drive back to DC, but he'd promised Pops he'd come home for the week. The image of relaxing with a Philly cheesesteak, a good beer and an even better cigar now fell into the 'not likely' column, and he sighed as he released his seatbelt, shoving his door open with his shoulder. He hiked his canvas duffle over his shoulder and pulled in a deep breath, staring at the house, feeling the insistent beat of music emanating from every corner. But the lure of his old bedroom, chocolate chip pancakes for breakfast and grilled cheese for lunch all combined as the impetus to make him put one foot in front of the other.

-s&t—

Temperance attempted to appear casual, knowing from her scholarly research that the best way to penetrate a society, even one whose norms were foreign such as these, was to blend in as much as possible, and not make a scene. Her eyes scanned the room for her study partner, and she frowned a bit that he was late. Or at least, he wasn't visibly present. It was hardly likely that he was late to his own party. Then again, if he put as much work into that as he did his studies, there was no telling the poor quality of anything he did. Jared Booth really needed to focus more on his studies, instead of this frivolous spectacle of inebriation and lust. Not that it wasn't _somewhat_ fascinating anthropologically, she admitted, but still…she hadn't prepared to be studying culture tonight. She was supposed to be _tutoring_ in anthropology, and she was quite sure she had the correct address, and…

"Hey, sugar."

Temperance frowned when a hand tugged at her ponytail. She reached up to swat it away and leaned back at the lecherous smile in her direction, coming from a face she thought she recognized from her history of female archetypes class. It was the same face that had spewed nonsensical garbage on the first day of class, and she'd ignored him ever since.

"Excuse me," she stiffened and tried to step away from the baseball or football or some sort of ball player she thought he was.

He just grinned and stepped in the direction she was going in, leaving her no choice but to attempt to move in the opposite direction. When the object of her disdain followed that moment, Temperance grew annoyed and whirled around, taking a step forward into a hard chest.

A hand cupped her elbow and tightened just a fraction when she tried to pull away. She looked up and saw a man, older than her, but just by a few years. His jaw was set, his lips in a firm line, and there was something in his eyes that she couldn't quite figure out.

"Sorry about that," he kind of murmured in a low tone, and then he was not really even looking at her, but instead searching the room for someone, or something. When his hand fell away from her arm, Temperance felt the absence, and for the first time, felt as if _not_ being touched any longer was a loss.

She tried to sort through the irrationalities involved and then blinked, looking up quickly when two laughing girls bumped into her, their sloshing beers not quite pungent enough to cover up the smell of their nervous sweating and over applied perfumes. She straightened her backpack straps over her shoulders and swallowed, looking around once again, wondering where Jared could be. He'd told her to meet her there. That he'd be here.

_-s&t—_

Seeley pushed past a throng of drunk girls and around the sad sacks vying for their attention. He felt about a million years old, wondering when he'd lost the thrill to flirt and pick up an easy lay at a college party.

_Probably when you graduated from college, dumbass_. With the realization, he smirked to himself. Yeah. Probably. It had been weeks since he'd even stopped _working_, let alone relax enough for a date or…whatever. His badge was so close he could almost taste it, but he'd promised Pops he'd come home this weekend for his birthday. So here he was.

His teeth clenched as he thought he heard something break in the kitchen, and he debated whether to check that out first or to try to find Jared. Pops' old Mustang hadn't been in the garage, so he figured he was out. A small clench of…something, jealousy, annoyance, he didn't know…but he felt it in the pit of his stomach, wondering why Jared seemed to be getting away with all of this. Maybe Pops just didn't care anymore, knew it was too much trouble. And hell, at least Jared was drinking _here_. At least…he hoped he was here. His eyes scanned the living room before landing on the staircase. Seeley felt his spine tense, and he turned around, feeling as if something important was happening. His eyes narrowed as his other senses heightened. Bad rap music, overly loud laughing at not funny jokes, liquid avoidance sloshing in cheap plastic cups, the crunch of spilled pretzels under his foot. He inhaled through his nose and his hands settled on his hips.

-s&t-

He saw Jared talking to a young girl, but on closer inspection, he realized the girl wasn't as young as he'd originally thought. It was the same girl he'd accidentally run into when he'd first come into the living room. He figured her to be a few years younger than him, but her skin was clear and fresh in a way that reminded him of high school. Something stirred inside of him, something he couldn't quite identify, but when Jared turned toward him, nothing remained but an insistence to make things right for his brother.

"Hey, bro," Jared thumped him on the back. "I see you've met my tutor. You guys should definitely talk. You'd totally get along. You both love the truth and shit like that. Hey!" he grinned and gave the single nod to a blonde near the fridge. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm about to get a bit busy…"

"No, Jared…" Seeley tried to grab for his arm, but then he stepped back as one of Jared's teammates was moving toward them with a big bottle of whiskey and an inebriated smile. He turned to ask the girl her name, but then noticed she was gone.

-s&t-

The next morning…

"Is this really necessary?" Jared snarled, his baseball cap riding low on his forehead, covering his bloodshot eyes and dark expression.

"Yeah, it is," Seeley shoved another cup of coffee toward his brother, staring at him and daring him not to drink it.

"You know, I _am_ 24 years old; that's three years past 21, by the way."

Seeley smirked. "Yeah, I know how to add."

Jared had no reply to that, and he merely sipped at the strong coffee, wincing every few minutes as his brother stared out the window onto the street.

"Have you talked to Dad?" he finally asked, and Seeley tensed.

"Nope."

"Look, it's-"

"I don't want to talk about that," Seeley interrupted. "Choose something else."

Jared's eyebrow lifted, and then he winced again at the movement and the way it affected his existing headache and hangover. "Fine. Actually, there is something I need your help with. If you're up to it."

Seeley leaned forward. "What is it?"

"You're not going to like it," Jared warned, leaning back in his chair and pulling off his ball cap. He rubbed his wrist against his forehead and then planted his hat on backward, shrugging casually.

Seeley only looked at him, his face impassive except for the 'try me' expression.

Jared sighed. "Okay, there's this class I'm in…anthropology of American males-"

When he saw his brother's mocking expression, he paused and chuckled a bit. "I know, I know. Hey, it was either that or anthropology of American females, so…"

"I think I'd pick the females," Seeley joked, and Jared laughed.

"Yeah, well, that one was at 8 AM, and this one was at 1 PM."

Seeley acknowledged that with a wave of his hand, encouraging Jared to continue.

"So, anyway, there's this experiment, sort of a side project, a um…a study in sexual responses and that kind of thing, and…"

When Seeley didn't say anything at all, Jared flushed and continued. "And each person in the class is supposed to find someone to participate in the study, or, as a default, can offer himself up as subject matter."

Seeley blinked, and his eyebrows rose as he leaned back in his chair, tapping the prongs of his fork against the table. "So you what…need me to ask someone or something?"

Jared eyed him, and Booth's jaw dropped instantly. "Uh, seriously?"

Jared winced. "Is that a no?"

"Uh," Seeley scoffed. "That's a hell no."

"Oh come on man, please? You're in the exact age range, male, 25-30. You're 27, perfectly in that range, and you're…you know."

"Please stop," Seeley held up his hand. "You're serious about this? What the hell?"

"Look," Jared leaned in. "You know that normally I'd never ask you to do anything like this, but it's for my grade, man. I'm barely getting a D, and I need at least a C to keep my football scholarship. And you _know _I need that."

Seeley gritted his teeth. He _did_ know that. Because no matter how much money he was able to send Pops' way, it never seemed to be quite enough. Jared pulling a primo football scholarship had softened the financial strain a bit. Once he had his badge, well, things would be different. Work would be steady, and… "Son of a bitch," he groaned, running a palm over his face, already knowing he was about to cave. It pissed him off that Jared seemed to sense it too and Seeley watched his brother watch him.

Saving as much dignity as he could muster, he looked away, starting out the window for a moment. "When is it?" he finally asked.

Jared fixed his hat and drank the rest of his coffee, standing up and patting his brother on the shoulder. "Uh, tomorrow morning, actually. Good luck."

With that he left, leaving Seeley alone. He'd agreed to something he'd never thought he'd ever do for a reason he'd sworn to himself he'd never do again. Damn it.

-s&t-

_A few days later…_

"What are your thoughts on this one, Temperance?" Dr. Camden asked her best student, watching her as she watched through the observation window.

The 22 year old's brow furrowed a bit and she looked down to her notes. "My thoughts can only be framed by the evidence, of course, but in this case, it appears that this male was most attracted to images of women in bondage situations. His breathing changed pace at those times, and his heartbeat also increased. Interestingly enough, he also seemed to grow the most aroused when presented with scenarios where the male example was blond and tall, like himself. Subconsciously, he liked the scenarios where he could most easily imagine himself as the hero, in control."

"Very good," Dr. Camden nodded. "I agree."

"Of course, this is not a new development, nor particularly surprising," Temperance added, organizing her notes. She'd been monitoring this research project for a few days; it was one of the reasons she was in Philadelphia for a semester. Her forensic anthropology advisor at Northwestern had encouraged her to dedicate an entire semester to cultural anthropology. Temperance sensed that the Northwestern advisor considered her to be pre-occupied with death, something she did not agree with. But, in order to expand her academic horizons, she'd accepted the fellowship of sorts and was only a couple of weeks away from the end of her studies here. "Males throughout history have-"

Dr. Camden looked up in surprise when Temperance stopped talking, and she couldn't help but smile when a soft 'oh' escaped the prodigious student's lips. She watched with amazement as Temperance's eyes never left the young man who had entered the room they were observing. She watched the way Temperance's fist clenched at her side and the way she seemed to breathe just a bit quicker. She then looked through the observation window and couldn't help but raise her eyebrows as well. There was something different about this man; something innate and impossible to define. With that thought, she looked back at Temperance, wondering if that exact thing annoyed the young and literal student. But there was something else on her expression that incited curiosity. "Do you know this man, Temperance?"

She looked at her quickly with a blink of bright blue eyes. "No, no I don't."

With that, Temperance schooled her features and turned to walk into the room to prepare this man for the process of being observed.

-s&t-

Seeley ran his hands down his sides, trying to give the impression that he was casual about this, but he had to admit to himself that this impersonal room was uncomfortable and almost chilling. He'd come to the school three days before for the preliminary testing for STDs and any other data-related abnormalities. When he'd been told everything was fine, he'd received a call with a pre-set time and appointment. Now that he was here, he had half a mind to just leave and tell Jared he could go to hell (after figuring out some other way to improve his grade), but when a small side door opened, he found himself struck by a strange sense of déjà vu. There was something very familiar about the woman who had entered the room. Her hair was dark and straight around her shoulders, and they were encased in a labcoat. His palms itched at his sides, and he stared at her as she walked toward him.

When she lifted her blue eyes, his own brown eyes narrowed. "Have we met?"

He watched some sort of thought process take place in her facial expressions, and he was curious to know what she was thinking.

"No, we have not met, though we have seen one another before."

Her voice was low, both in tone and volume, and it seemed to sort of settle and soak around him. He felt suspended in a strange dream, yet somehow comfortable in this strange situation. And then he remembered. "Ah, yes, you-"

"The success of a project like this relies on the complete detachment of the person performing the experiment," she interrupted, and he watched as she seemed to spare a nervous glance toward the small window near the door she'd entered.

"Ah, right," he nodded, all of a sudden wanting to do this right. There was something about her that made him want to have the right answer. "Okay, so…what should I do?"

She motioned toward a chair in the center of the room. He took a seat at her lead and then sat very still as she lifted up his t-shirt to apply a few electrodes to his chest. Seeley began to feel nervous, and his throat tightened. "I uh…I don't usually put out on the first experiment," he joked.

"I don't know what that means," she murmured, and his eyebrow lifted even as he raised his arms to give her easier access.

"It means," he began and then shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Just a joke." When she didn't laugh but just continued working, he winced at his lame attempt at humor.

There was something about her that also made him feel like he was about to expose all his dirty secrets to the Virgin Mary…she just seemed as pure as her pale skin, as sweet as her pretty eyes.

Seeley shifted in his chair as he realized that the experiment was likely NOT a test of how attracted he was to the person giving the test. Then again, he realized as he looked around the room, perhaps that WAS the point of the test. It was possible, and he wondered if he was being observed. But more than that, he couldn't quite look away from her face as she continued to prepare him for the experiment. Her white teeth were sinking into her lush bottom lip, and when he groaned, her eyes flew up to meet his.

Her fingers trembled against his chest, and she frowned. "Too cold?"

His stomach clenched at her voice, and he cleared his throat. "Um, no…no it's all good."

She frowned even deeper. "Good is a relative construct, and even if it were more concrete, it would be impossible to assign all experiences or objects of matter under such a heading."

His mind began to swim, and he wondered if this was also part of the test, understanding a single word she was saying. He tried to come up with some response, but then all of a sudden, she was standing straight in front of him. They stared at one another for what seemed like an hour but was most likely only a couple of seconds, and then she had turned and was walking back through the same door she'd come through.

And Seeley was left alone with a strange feeling and a stack of sexy photos and magazines. Well, hell.

-s&t—

Temperance avoided Dr. Camden's eyes when she reentered the observation room and instead sorted through her notebook, picking up her pen to take some notes. Dr. Camden stared at her student and then smiled, taking Temperance's arm and pulling her away from the window. "I don't think you should continue this experiment."

Temperance's eyes flew up in horror. "Because I spoke with him?" she asked. "It was only general conversation. I promise it will have no bearing on my objective findings as to his sexual arousal." On the last two words, her cheeks flushed and her hand once again clenched at her side.

Dr. Camden watched with interest and the hint of a small smile. "It seems as if your objectivity has already been compromised."

Temperance looked anxious and almost close to tears. "I'm sorry. It won't happen again. There is no reason for it. I promise I can be objective. He's just a man."

"But he's not, is he?"

"I…" Temperance frowned and sputtered a bit. "I don't know what that means."

Dr. Camden's small smile grew. "It means that you are responding to him as a woman responds to a man, and there's nothing wrong with that."

Temperance gave a slight and automatic shake to her head. "The success of a project like this relies on the complete detachment of the person performing the experiment," she repeated. "I can be detached. I'm…I'm quite good at it." Her jaw jutted forward in stubborn insistence.

There was a pause, and then Dr. Camden's eyes narrowed. "Why did you come to Philadelphia, Temperance?"

The younger woman visibly started and then her own eyes narrowed as if the answer was an obvious one. "To work on this project. To study cultural anthropology. You know this."

"Is that the only reason?"

Temperance looked away, her face showing an instant of pain and then a smooth mask of indifference. "No. I've been told by a professor that in order to understand human nature, I need to experience more of it. After another rather unpleasant experience with an overly emotional dorm roommate, it was determined to be in my best interest to travel to another campus for a semester."

Dr. Camden felt sympathy for this lovely young genius. "I'm sure that roommate was incredibly annoying."

Temperance's eyes snapped back toward Dr. Camden's in a flash of relief. "Yes. Quite."

Dr. Camden used the opening to continue. "But perhaps there is a tiny bit of merit to what your Northwestern professors have suggested. Perhaps it would be a good idea for you to expand your horizon outside of the classroom and see what happens."

Temperance swallowed. "I have some experience with that, and the results form a very consistent pattern of no success in that arena."

"With men?"

Temperance flushed and straightened her shoulders. "On platonic levels, yes, and as far as sexual intercourse…that remains uncharted as of this time."

"I see."

There was silence for a moment, and then Dr. Camden took a chance. She placed a hand on Temperance's arm and smiled. "I want to give you a new assignment. I want you to approach that man," she tilted her head toward the experiment lounge. "And I want you to ask him to have dinner with you."

Temperance scoffed. "He won't say yes."

"Ah…so you are interested in the prospect?"

"Oh," Temperance frowned. "I feel as if somehow I've been tricked just now."

Dr. Camden laughed. "You haven't been tricked. I am being very literal with you. You are incredibly smart, Temperance. And based on your reaction, you are physically attracted to that man. We already know from his pre-screening that he is safe, so to speak." When she didn't receive a reply, she continued. "And he seems nice."

Temperance tilted her head in suspicion. "It's impossible to determine something like that."

"Sometimes that's true," Dr. Camden acknowledged. "But what do you think?"

"I…" Temperance smoothed her hands down her sides. "I don't know what to think."

Dr. Camden nodded and at that moment, turned to see the man standing up quickly and yanking off the electrodes before walking out of the room. "Oh, he's leaving. Go after him, invite him to dinner. Or to talk, or anything." With that, she turned her student around and gently shoved.

Temperance found herself out in a hallway, and she saw the man walking her way. Their eyes met, and he froze.

"Wait," she spoke.

-s&t-

Seeley clenched his jaw and resisted the urge to start running. Damn but he'd never run from anything in his life, but he was tempted to start. "Look, I'm sorry, but…I just couldn't do it. I mean, it was so clinical, and that's just not right, and…I don't care if Jared gets a D. I'll figure it out." He ran a hand through his hair and stared at her as she took a step toward him. He felt sick to his stomach as her appearance mingled with the sexy images he'd just flipped through, and something about it just felt…wrong. "I'll figure something out," he muttered to himself.

But then she was taking another step toward him, and well…that felt right.

"I have something to ask you," she was saying, wringing her hands in front of her. Seeley stared at her face, and it was several seconds before he realized she was waiting for a response from him.

"Um…" he cleared his throat. "Okay."

She steeled her shoulders, and her eyes narrowed, her stance already defensive, putting him on defense as well. "I was wondering if you'd care to have intercourse with me."

A choked sound escaped his lips, and then she realized what she'd said. "I mean dinner," she gasped. "I mean…well, then…intercourse, I mean…ah," she flushed and turned away.

"Wait," he gave a response, shocking both himself and her, based on the way she met his eyes in surprise. "I um…what?"

He shook his head, wondering if it was possible that he'd misunderstood, if it was possible that the experiment had messed with his mind.

She bit her bottom lip and he had to hold back a groan. Her eyes were pained and she took a step closer. Seeley figured she had no idea what she was going to him. He searched her face for any sort of deception and found absolutely none. He'd always trusted his gut, and right now, his gut was telling him to hear her out, to just listen to what she had to say. It was also telling him to tuck her hair behind her ear and kiss her, but he ignored that part, trying to focus on her words.

"I…I haven't had success with men before," she was saying. "Or at all, and based on your physical structure and age and…well, you seem to be able to assist me with that. I'm only looking for one experience…just one instance in which I can experience sexual intercourse and know once and for all what it's all about."

His nostrils flared, and he stood, frozen in place. His mind whirled with possibilities and also with reasons to not do this. _No. No, no, no, no, no_. Damn it, Jared! _What the fuck was this?_ This…_no, no, no, no, _he opened his mouth to reply. "Yes."

What? _Son of a bitch!_

"You…" she blinked, and he had to forcibly not react to her blue eyes. "You said yes."

His heart was racing, and a small part of him was glad no one was monitoring it any longer for fear that he'd be hospitalized immediately. "I…"

"Don't change your mind," she whispered in a tone that made him wonder how many times she'd been disappointed before. Something fierce stirred in his chest, and his fists clenched at his sides.

"I won't change my mind." He nodded, and noticed that she relaxed just a tiny bit. "But um…I'm just in town for a couple of days. And I'm staying with my grandfather's house, so…"

Her forehead creased as she considered that. "I see. I live in a dorm, and frankly-"

"Yeah," he interrupted, the thought as unappealing to him as it was to her. "I uh…I think there's a campus hotel. I've heard it's pretty nice." He shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "We could meet there. It's not as…personal, but it should at least be private."

Private and slightly impersonal sounded like optimal conditions to Temperance, and she nodded, reaching out a hand toward him. When he eyed it, she realized she'd made a social mistake, and just as she was about to pull her hand back, he reached out and grabbed her hand with his, shaking it slightly. His hand felt warm and dry around hers, and she felt a warmth shoot up her arm toward her chest. Immediately, she pulled her hand back and met his eyes, attempting as detached an expression as possible. "I find those terms satisfactory. Tomorrow evening works best for me."

Friday night. Seeley pulled in a breath. "That works for me too."

And with that, it was settled. He'd never been in a situation like this, but something told him it was now time to walk away. But the thought didn't quite make it down to his feet. Or his eyes, as he continued to stare at her. She was staring back at him, and he wondered what she was thinking. It felt like a tether was being wrapped around all of him, somehow connecting him to her. She blinked, and he was able to do the same, shrugging a shoulder and making a move to step around her. He rubbed the back of one knuckle against his nose and nodded in her direction. "I uh…I'll see you tomorrow."

She didn't reply, but he felt her gaze on him the entire time he walked down the hallway and out the door.

-s&t-

The next evening…

Temperance stood in the hotel lobby, holding two smooth and cold key cards in her palm. Their edges pressed into her hand as she scanned the expansive space. It was nice, at least the lobby anyway. A quiver in her stomach stirred at the prospect of her evening, and her brain felt almost bruised with the knowledge of what she was about to learn, with what she was about to do.

From the morning before to this moment, she'd considered him. In the small amount of time she'd spoken with him in the hallway, she'd allowed herself to examine him physically. His shoulders were broad, his jawline firm and straight. There was something intense but kind in his dark brown eyes, and she felt another stirring in her body at the memory of his lean hips. She knew enough of human sexuality to understand that her body was responding to the consideration of intercourse with him. It was the actual act that was going to be new to her, not the mindset behind it. There was a small part of her that figured that she'd exaggerated his innate physicality and her response to it, but she was startled by his soft, "hey," and when she blinked and realized he was standing right in front of her, she realized nothing had been exaggerated.

He was dressed in a pair of dark jeans and a dress shirt, covered with a black leather jacket. He seemed more attractive and at the same time slightly dangerous. The part of her that dreamed of expeditions to Egypt or central American dig sites responded to the curiosity she felt about him and his body. When their eyes met, she noticed that he seemed nervous too. Unable to speak, she merely held up the two keycards in her hands. He nodded once, and she turned to walk toward their room.

She heard the sound of his footsteps behind her on the padded carpet.

-s&t-

Seeley rubbed a hand over his jaw and wondered what in the hell he was doing. He'd spent the last hours changing his mind over and over. He knew he couldn't just not show up, but he felt like he at least needed to know more about her. But he didn't want to embarrass her either, so it wasn't like he could ask Jared about her. That would have been a giant mistake. When his brother had asked him how the experiment had gone, he'd just shrugged, and when Jared had come home from class the next day saying his grade had improved…well, there wasn't anything he could say to that either.

And now…

He wasn't sure what he'd expected when he'd arrived to the hotel, but finding her in the lobby in jeans, a buttoned up shirt, her hair up in a ponytail, and her back-pack strapped to her back and shoulders _wasn't_ it. It threw him for a loop, and he'd been about to call the whole thing off when she'd held up her hand, showing him the keycards to their room.

Their room.

Holy shit, this was insane, he realized as he watched the red blinking light on the door turn to a welcoming green. _Come on in_, it seemed to say, and he placed a flat hand against the door, holding it open as they both walked inside. It was already dimly lit, and that seemed good. Not sure how to proceed, he started with taking off his jacket, carefully hanging it up. There was a mirror on the bathroom door, and he could see that she was watching him. It took him a second to actually get enough nerve to look back at her.

He stared at her he was struck by an image of the memory of her, looking exactly like that, in Pops' living room, surrounded by Jared's dumbass drunk friends. A fierce heat spread in his gut at the idea of any of those fuckers even laying a hand on her. He tried to be a good man, tried not to sin, and he knew it was crazy, but there was a small part of him that believed that God wanted him to be here for her in this moment.

It was that conviction that pushed him forward, and he walked toward her, pausing when he was standing right in front of her.

"So, what should I do?" she asked in her low and husky voice. He was finding that it was already familiar to him, though he wasn't sure he'd ever get used to the way he felt when she met his eyes with her bright blue ones. "Should I just take off my clothes?"

_Mother of mercy…_ "Um," he cleared his throat and swallowed. "Well, let's just start with the backpack, at least." He couldn't help but lift one finger to kind of trace against the strap on her shoulder. A slight grin hooked up one side of his mouth as he watched her flush in embarrassment. He helped her remove the backpack and set it on the chair near the desk. This entire scenario felt so bizarre, but every time he looked in her eyes, it felt more right than anything he'd ever done.

When he turned around, she was already unbuttoning her blouse, and he reached out with quick hands, wrapping his fingers around her wrists to stop her. Confusion ran deep in her blue eyes, and socked him in the gut.  
"Just…" he swallowed. "Just wait a minute, okay?"

A frown creased her brow, "What are we waiting for? Did you change your mind? Because-"

"_No_," he interrupted. "I didn't change my mind. I just think we should slow down a bit. That's all. You don't even know my name," he finished on a nervous chuckle.

Her eyes moved down to where he still held her wrists in his grasp. "What is it?"

"Hmmm?" he blinked. "What?"

The look she gave him then made him blush like he'd missed an answer in class. "Your name," she clarified. "What is it?"

"Oh," he chuckled. "Um, Seeley. My name is Seeley."

"Seeley," she pursed her lips and then her tongue darted out between them, as if she was figuring out just what his name tasted like against her teeth, tongue and lips. "That is…unique."

"Yeah," he groused, his voice a little deeper. "Unique. That's the word for it."

Temperance shrugged, still okay with her original judgment. "I'm Temperance."

"Temperance," he nodded. "_Unique_," he offered, and couldn't help but grin when she looked less than satisfied.

Her eyes narrowed on his smile, and she tried to pull her hands free, feeling almost as if that quick flash of straight teeth made him slightly less trustworthy. That he released her hands the instant she pulled back made him seem even _more _trustworthy. "Perhaps…" she swallowed, knowing this was unfamiliar territory. "Perhaps we shouldn't reveal much about ourselves, personally, and should just…" Her words failed her, but she motioned between their bodies.

It was on the tip of his tongue to insist that if it was going to be _anything_ between them, it was sure as hell going to be personal. But instead he just took a step back and then another until the backs of his legs hit against the mattress. Seeley sat on the edge of the bed and looked at her, opening up a hand toward her.

She placed a tentative hand in his and allowed him to lead her toward him, standing between his legs.

"I'd like to undress you myself," he met her eyes, but placed his hands on his legs. "But it's up to you."

Her face showed nothing of her thoughts. "Is that the generally accepted practice?"

_Careful,_ he warned himself. The importance of this experience was a weight around his heart, and so he considered his words. "The generally accepted practice usually isn't very…practiced," he offered, wondering if that was the right answer.

She nodded. "That makes sense. Depending on the people involved, and I suppose the amount of spontaneity, there might be different levels of urgency."

Seeley felt a general feeling of urgency spread throughout his limbs, and he nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. And uh, levels of alcohol too," he joked, and felt about 10 feet tall when she smiled at his joke this time.

That smile gave him the courage to place one of his hands on one of her hips, just gently cupping her there. "So what do you think?"

Temperance began to realize that beyond the general practice of sexual intercourse, there was an added level of preference of the two people involved, an intimacy that transcended physicality. It was more than just function, it was also about what she might prefer. She considered her choice and deferred. "What is your preference?"

He swallowed. "I already said what I wanted."

A furrow creased her brow. "Oh yes, you did. I apologize. I should have been paying better attention-"

"Hey," his other hand came up to her other hip. "No, don't do that." He paused at the insistence in his voice, wondering if he was being too short with her. "Don't apologize. I just…the main point is there are rarely any mistakes. It's best to just do what feels right."

She tilted her head to the side. "I find that is almost never best."

For some reason that made him smile. He stared at her waist and nodded once. Well, okay then. He used fingers on the bottom button of her dress shirt, and when she flinched, he paused before standing up. He shrugged a shoulder and then began unbuttoning his own shirt. "Why don't we just each…you know,"

Temperance felt relief that he was allowing her to undress herself, but slight frustration that he was taking off his own shirt. It wasn't anything she'd previously considered as something she wanted to do, but as inches of his bare chest and stomach were revealed, she slightly mourned the loss of revealing it herself.

Swallowing that back, she worked on her own shirt, quickly unbuttoning it and sliding it from her shoulders. Her eyes were pinned on his bare chest when she noticed him suck in a sharp breath. Her gaze flew to his only to see that he was staring at her chest. His face was serious, his jaw set, his eyes narrowed.

This was more intense than the expressions she'd seen on the faces of the men in the experiment, and she felt her breasts swell in response and arousal. It was a strange sensation, her body reacting on its own to his presence, to his gaze.

Temperance felt a slight flush cover her chest, and when she reached behind her to unclasp her bra, his hands shot out and stopped her.

"Hold on…just a minute," he growled almost, and she shivered at the tone, though not in fear. No, this was an intrinsic reaction to his sexuality.

She stared at his throat as he stepped in closer, and then he tapped the bottom of her chin with one finger, forcing her gaze up to meet his. Very slowly, his mouth descended toward hers, and then his lips were pressed against hers, warm and chapped, but also soft. He pulled back and met her eyes, seemingly waiting for a reaction, but she was frozen against saying or doing anything but stretching up onto her tiptoes and kissing him again. He groaned against her lips, deepening the kiss.

Temperance gasped and clutched her hands to his bare shoulders when his tongue slipped into her mouth. The feel of his skin was unlike anything she'd ever felt; he was warm and muscled and she wanted to feel more of him. She stepped closer, causing her plain-white-bra covered breasts to press against his firm chest. Her arms were around his waist, and she ran her hands along his strong back, noting his bone structure.

His own hands were running along her back and sides and then one hand slid over her stomach. Temperance felt a quick shock and she gasped, pulling back. "Ah!."

His eyes were hooded and he pressed his hand tighter against her stomach. "Sorry. I guess you're ticklish there."

She wasn't sure what to say except, "Don't apologize."

He let out a small laugh and then kissed her again, and there was something different about the taste of his kiss when he was smiling. Temperance tried to analyze it but couldn't; she could only kiss him back. She needed more of him and she stepped forward. He stepped back to accommodate her, but the bed was behind him, and he fell backward, pulling her with him until he was on his back, and she was sprawled over him.

She reared back in surprise at the feel of his hard stomach and hips against hers. His large hand on her back kept her against him, and she felt him stir between her legs. Curiosity won out, and she leaned forward, pressing her lips against his jaw. Seeley groaned and cupped her hips, lifting up once and then rocking backward until they were both completely on the bed.

This fixed their location, but somewhat broke the urgent mood, and for a moment, they both stared at one another. "Take your hair down," he encouraged in a low voice. "Every woman should let her hair down in bed."

Wanting to do it right, Temperance quickly removed the band that kept her ponytail in place. She felt her hair fall against her shoulders, and watched as Seeley's eyes seemed to get darker as he followed the spill of her hair against her skin.

This time, when she reached behind her to remove her bra, he didn't stop her. She expected him to stare at her; she knew enough about men to expect that.

But what she didn't expect was the way his eyes narrowed, the way his cheeks flushed or the way it would feel when his index finger rubbed over her.

"Ah," escaped her lips, and she held herself perfectly still. She stared down at her own breasts, watching in amazement as he touched her with one finger. His skin tone was darker than hers, but the pink in his fingertip was a near match for her nipple. His finger lingered around it, and she crinkled in response. Temperance watched, intrigued, as her body seemed to be reaching out toward him. Simultaneously, her entire body was growing warmer. When he brought his thumb up and gently pinched her nipple between it and his finger, she gasped. It was like being spread open, and she felt a throb between her legs. "I…that is very enjoyable."

"I'm glad," he murmured and repeated the action, cupping her entire breast in his hand. He moved to his back and lifted his other hand to her other bare breast, using the same rubbing and tugging motion. Temperance threw her head back and closed her eyes. She sensed that her hips were rotating, and the heat there seemed almost unbearable. In the back of her mind, she had a flicker of a thought that she'd chosen well in her choice of a first mate, but the rest of her brain was concentrating solely on the sensations he was creating in her.

When she felt a warm rush of air near her nipple, her head reared forward, just in time to see his firm lips close around her. Then an inexorable pressure occurred in her entire body as he began to gently suckle her. This was…this was more than anything she'd ever considered, and as his tongue swept over her firm nipple, she couldn't help but cry out, her hand coming up to hold his head to her.

He groaned in approval and pulled back. A grunt of displeasure escaped her lips until she realized he was just kissing across her chest to her other breast. When he sucked her nipple into his mouth, she fell forward, her hands falling to the mattress on either side of his shoulders. Temperance realized she was over him, her hips pinned to his. He met her eyes and then he was leaning toward her, kissing her mouth with his.

Seeley groaned at the feel of her wet and perked nipples against his bare chest. She was young, younger than anyone he'd been with in a few years, and even when he had been younger, he'd often been with women older than him. Women with more experience usually were more fun and knew the stakes. But… "Temperance," he gasped, and ran his hands against her sides and bare back. She was like something he'd never experienced before.

Her hips were rotating on his, and he knew that meant she wanted more, even if she didn't necessarily know how to ask for it. It would have been so easy to just roll her beneath him, peel off the rest of their clothes and bury himself inside of her. The truth was that with any other woman, he absolutely would be inside of her, thrusting away to orgasm.

He clenched his jaw and cupped her hips, stopping her movements and forcing her back. He meant to talk to her, but the sweet sway of her perfect breasts caught his attention. Sinking lower on the bed, he nuzzled his face between her breasts, kissing and pressing light suction on her skin there. "Everything okay so far?" he managed to ask, smoothing one hand toward the button on her pants.

"Yes," she gasped. "Very satisfactory."

He smiled against her skin and unbuttoned her pants. "I'm going to touch you more. If you change your mind,-"

"I won't," she promised, leaning down to kiss against his throat. Seeley used both hands to slide her pants down her hips, enjoying the feel of her silky legs against the backs of his hands. He settled one hand on her panty-covered rear end and his other hand pressed against her front. He pinned his hand between her legs and pressed while she got comfortable with him.

Her head reared back and he watched as she stared straight toward the headboard. Things were moving pretty quickly, but he was powerless to do anything but slip his thumb under the hem of her underwear. She was soaked, and he groaned, the sound rougher than he intended. She began a forward and back moment that spurred him on. "Has anyone ever touched you like this?" he asked, his voice also rougher than he intended.

But when she licked her lips and rocked against his hand, he knew she either didn't mind or liked it.

"No," she admitted. "At least, no one but me."

_Fuck,_ that turned him on. He wrapped his arm around her waist and flipped them over so she was on her back. He pressed his thumb against her clit and kissed her lips, paying attention to every sound she made, every rotation of her body against his hand.

-s&t-

Temperance felt warmth all over her entire body, centering against her lips and between her legs. This part of the experience couldn't be learned in a book, and she knew this, arching beneath his touch as pleasure spread throughout her limbs, rushing back in a force that left her breathless.

She gasped and then opened her eyes to see him staring down at her. She hadn't even realized she'd closed her eyes, but now she could see that he wore the same expression he'd had when she'd run into him at the party; serious and safe and something she couldn't define.

"Did I do it wrong?" she asked, unable to prevent her teeth from sinking into her bottom lip.

He stared at her before leaning down and kissing her lips, letting his tongue rub over her bottom lip as his finger nudged just below her clit. "Not wrong at all," he answered in a low voice. His other hand was pulling at her panties, and when she gasped, he kissed her again. "Again," he murmured against her lips, sliding one long finger inside of her.

Temperance's back arched from the mattress, her head pressing against the pillow. She kicked her underwear off of her legs and feet, and groaned when his finger began to slide in and out of her, slow but steady, never in one place for very long.

"You're wet," he commented, and she flushed, meeting his eyes. "Can you feel that?" When she nodded, he did too. "That's for me, for me to be inside of you."

The intimacy of that reality settled around them in the dimly lit room. Her body automatically clenched. "Fuck, you're tight too," he grunted, massaging her insides with his skilled fingertip.

"Is that for you as well?" she asked, feeling seductive for the first time in her life. His lips parted and he bared his teeth, whether he knew it or not, as he leaned down and kissed her lips.

"It's gonna be," he promised, moving his finger just a bit faster. There was something very dark and luxurious in the way she felt, stretched out on a hotel bed, naked and sated, but also covered by him and building up to another climax. In the corner of her mind, she considered the need to catalog the different reaction, a clitoral orgasm vs. a penetrative one, but when his lips captured one of her nipples again and gave a firm tug, she lost most of her ability to think. She could only feel.

"Yes," he grunted, and she had no idea why, but in that moment, she didn't care.

It wasn't until she was coming again and she opened her eyes that she realized that she'd wrapped her arms around his shoulders and her legs around his waist.

He was over her, a feral look in his eyes. Dangerous.

She was shaking from the force of her climax, her limbs tingling and filled with heat. Her head lolled on the pillow, and she wondered if she'd be able to walk again.

"Are you okay?" he asked, staring down at her, almost daring her to say that she wasn't.

"Yes," she gave the only response she could. "However, I'm now naked, and you are not."

Seeley stared down at her, again amazed that she wasn't being coy…merely being factual. "Right," he nodded and backed away, breathless at the view of all over her, bare and spread out for him, flushed and pink _because_ of him.

He realized he was incredibly hard for her, and he wondered what she was going to think once she saw all of him. But one thing snuck into his mind and wouldn't quit. He pulled out a condom from his pants pocket. "We uh…we haven't talked about protection."

Temperance sat up on her elbows, now more in tune with her sensibilities. She placed her fingers on the button of his jeans meeting his eyes. "I'm on the birth control pill. It helps regulate my menstrual cycle."

Seeley cleared his throat. "Right, yes, but… um…"

She unbuttoned his pants and he watched as she stared at his crotch, her lips pursing in determination as she tried to figure out how to lower his zipper over his straining erection. He rolled away from her and to the side of the bed, shoving his pants and boxers down his legs and off of his feet. When he turned back, he noticed her staring at him, and so he moved to his side, stretching out to match her.

Her eyes travelled from his head to his toes, and he felt a surge of gratification at her small blush and the way her lips formed a small 'o' at the sight of his cock. But then her eyes met his, and she blinked.

"You're smooth," she began, running her hand over his chest and stomach. He sucked in a breath.

"Yeah, sorry…"

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "Why are you sorry? It seems to me that it's an indication of being evolved."

He wasn't sure what that meant, but he didn't exactly want to know, so he just nodded. "Okay…thanks, I guess." They stared at one another for a few seconds, weighing each other words.

Then, remembering that she'd likely never seen a man at all, he relaxed onto his back, keeping his hands open at his sides, encouraging her to look her fill.

She got the message, moving closer to him. She seemed to be unaware of her own nakedness as she examined him with her eyes. She met his gaze again. "You're very comfortable with your own body," she observed.

He flushed, even as his lips curved up. "Yeah, well, I've had it all my life."

She blinked once and then tilted her head to the side. "That is both true and humorous."

When she smiled, he felt pretty good about that. He couldn't think of anything else to say, but when she moved closer, it didn't matter.

"May I?" her hand lingered in the air just above his taut stomach.

He felt himself grow harder, just thinking about what it was going to feel like to have her touching him. "Yes," he choked out, hoping he didn't sound as desperate as he felt.

Her fingers traced his chest and stomach and then down to his hips and thighs. Though she was new at this, she somehow sensed that touching him lightly at first was the way to go. She moved down the bed and examined his legs and feet, admiring their structure. She remembered a crude joke about how the size of a man's feet indicated the length of his penis, and she looked up his body. From her angle at his legs, his penis seemed very big, stretched both up and forward toward his belly. Very interesting. It was dark and smooth looking, and it incited her curiosity to know more. A quick throb echoed between her thighs, and she had a flash to the way his finger had felt inside of her. It had been so tight and full. She wasn't sure about the foot comparison, but she did know that his penis was considerably thicker and longer than his index finger. It was hard to imagine what it would feel like to have his penis inside of her. But as she crawled toward his waist, she realized she was quite anxious to find out. When she'd made this proposition, she'd had no idea that it would be this successful.

It took her a moment to figure out how to position her body. Seeley leaned forward, and Temperance stared at the way his abdominal muscles flexed at the motion. 'Very impressive", she murmured, and he grunted a bit, cupping her hips in his hands and situating her across his waist. She straddled him and looked up to find his face was close to hers. Tilting her head to the side, she kept her gaze locked with his as she kissed him, letting her tongue rub against his lips. He groaned and clenched her hips before letting one hand cup the back of her head, keeping her in place.

It wasn't until the head of his cock brushed against her belly that she realized she'd gotten distracted. She pulled back and whimpered at the sight of his face. Pushing on his shoulders, she encouraged him to lie on his back and then settled on her side next to him. The position was quite convenient, allowing her a free hand to explore him. She started at his hips, touching lightly. The resulting buck of his hips was gratifying and she repeated the motion until she saw his penis lengthen even more. He was impossible to resist, and she finally wrapped one hand around him, amazed at the feel of him. A soft whoosh escaped her lips, but it was covered by the harsh moan that rose from his.

"I find," she began. "I find that I'd prefer if you don't wear a condom. I want to feel you inside of me."

Seeley cursed and clenched his fists at his sides. "I don't know if that's such a good idea."

She met his gaze in surprise. "I was under the impression that men preferred intercourse without any hindrance. That's what I've read, at least."

The clinical words confused him when she was the one speaking them. He figured out what she meant and nodded, inhaling as best he could. "That's true, but…"

"But what? I'm 'safe', I believe is the right term."

He almost laughed at her genuine expression. "I know. Me too. I was tested for the…you know."

Temperance nodded. "I know. So it seems like a non-brainer."

At her mis-used phrase, Seeley had to count backward from ten to keep from coming immediately. This girl was something else, and it was hard for him to believe that last week, he hadn't even known her.

"The thing is," he managed. "You can trust me, but guys, they uh…" he panted when her hand began working him a bit faster, up and down, up and down. "Guys, they lie about that kind of thing."

A dark anger spread through him at the thought of any other guy touching her, taking her to bed, talking to her, getting to know her at all. "You can trust me, but you shouldn't."

She continued her touch. "That doesn't make any sense." When she squeezed even harder, he gasped and sucked in a breath as pre-cum simultaneously escaped his slit and slipped down his shaft toward her fingers.

"Uh," he flushed and shifted up onto his elbows, knowing he needed to put a stop to this. "It's been awhile."

For some reason, that increased her confidence. "22 years?"

A chuckle fell from his lips, and he gently wrapped his fingers around her wrist, removing her hand from his aching cock. Immediately, he knew he needed to get inside of her, and as quickly as possible. "No…not that long."

Temperance pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and stared at his penis. "Would you say that you are average or above average in terms of penis size?"

Seeley snorted and resisted the urge to cover himself. Or her eyes, he wasn't sure. Hell, maybe even his own eyes. He could handle this, so long as he couldn't see the sweet expression in her gaze. "I don't know. I'm not in the habit of looking at other men's hard cocks."

His frank language was a relief to her, and she met his eyes, shrugging in acceptance. "That seems rational."

"Yeah," he laughed and then rolled toward her. Show and tell time was over. "Rational," he repeated as he hooked one of her legs over his, settling onto his side with her pulled flush against him. "That's why. Because it's rational."

He stared at her face and from the corner of his eye noticed the flush rising up her chest. His penis was nudged up between her thighs, pressed hard and firm against her. "You're still wet," he murmured appreciatively.

Somehow, one of her hands managed to sneak between them, and she ran a thumb over the head of his cock. "So are you."

He inhaled sharply through his nose and retaliated by running his own thumb against her clit. When she gasped and arched toward him, he leaned closer, nipping at her lips with his. "Feel that?" he teased, running his thumb in circles around her clit. "I'm guessing that's pretty close to what you're doing to me too."

"Ah," she observed as best she could, desperate for more of him. She knew in her mind that the emptiness she felt inside of her could best be filled by the hardness of his penis. It was just a matter of getting him inside of her. She shivered at the thought, and he reacted, thrusting his hips in her direction. This continued for a few seconds until a 'please' escaped her lips.

Then and only then did he really move, wrapping both of his arms around her waist. For a moment, she wasn't sure what was going to happen next, and by the look in his eyes, it seemed he didn't either. She expected him to roll her beneath him. It was a standard and highly accepted method of intercourse. So it was a surprise when she found herself draped over him, her chest and hips pressed against his much harder ones. Between her spread legs, his penis grew harder, harder than she'd thought possible. She couldn't resist grinding down onto him, the sensation created between them more than she'd ever experienced.

She watched with fascination as the muscles in his neck tensed and he gritted his teeth. His hips rotated against hers in a single tight circle before he huffed out a breath and settled his palms on her backside. His hands smoothed down her thighs, a bit rough and hurried. Then he was cupping the insides of her knees, pushing her legs both outward and upward until she was suspended in the air above him. "Last chance," he warned.

"I don't know what that means," she offered, even as she looked between their legs.

Part of him was tempted not to tell her, to just get inside of her and hell, tell her later or something. But he couldn't. There was something about this girl that demanded 100% of his honesty. "It means, this is the last chance for you to change your mind. The last chance before I'm inside of you."

At those words, her head snapped forward, and their eyes met, heat generating between them in a way that had nothing to do with sex. Or that's what it seemed to him at least. "Why would I want to change my mind?" she asked, her own honesty expressed through her eyes.

"I don't know," he answered. "I don't know." With that, he ran his hand down his stomach until it was where they both were. He thumbed down the head of his cock till the angle was right for her. With his other hand, he pressed gently on the small of her back, guiding her downward. "Okay, now…go as slow as you like. It, uh…" he tried to force himself to concentrate. "Damn, you feel good," he cursed as she slowly sank down onto him.

Temperance pressed her hands to his chest and concentrated on her movements. Her earlier calculations that his penis would feel different than his finger were correct, and she wasn't exactly sure how she felt about this new invasion. On one hand, it was somewhat gratifying, particularly in that he was getting so much pleasure from it. She watched as his neck muscles tensed again and his stomach muscles contracted as he continued to breathe as best he could. Instantly, everything felt very tight, and she squirmed, wondering if she was doing it right. His back arched upward, pushing him into her a fraction more, and it moved from tight to slightly uncomfortable. "Um…" she whispered, and then her hands curled against his chest.

Seeley's eyes opened and he stared up at her. For some reason, that made her feel a little bit better. His eyes were dark and desperate, his hands clenching at his sides. And then they were on her hips, guiding her a bit. "Sorry," he rasped out. "I got a little carried away."

He cursed himself for his impatience, but damn, she felt amazing around him. He'd forgotten what it felt like to be with a girl on her first time, and not just any girl, but this gorgeous, smart, funny in her own way girl…it was more than anything he'd ever experienced. And he couldn't believe he'd been about to fuck it up, literally. He smoothed a hand over her stomach, and then cupped a breast in his hand, lightly rubbing his thumb over her nipple. With his other hand, he caressed her thighs. "You're very beautiful," he murmured just before he let his thumb brush up against her clit. 

She gasped and sank down onto him another half an inch. Seeley lifted his thumb to his mouth, sucked on it for a couple of seconds and then swirled it around her clit a few times, watching as her eyes darkened to a shade of blue he'd never seen before. He repeated the motion until she was completely on him and he was fully embedded inside of her.

A shiver wracked his body at the feel of her, combined with the expectant look in her eyes. "Are you okay?" he asked, desperate to keep his mind and concentration on her.

"Yes," she nodded, smoothing a hand over his heart. "I feel the need to move, however."

He gasped out a laugh that quickly turned into a moan as she tentatively lifted up and then down. He grabbed her hips in his hands and began to lead her in a rhythm until she knocked his hands away.

"No," she exclaimed. "I mean…" a soft blush crept up her cheeks. "I want you to keep touching me. I'll do this part."

Seeley nodded, first cupping both of her breasts in his hands. He managed to lift up enough to pull one of them into his mouth and the new angle pushed him deeper inside of her on her next downward stroke. They both groaned at that, and he felt her get wetter and hotter as his tongue swept over her nipple. "I need to come," he confessed. "I promise I'll get you off as many times as you want, however you want…just please, for the love of God…please move."

Temperance heard the frantic undertone in his voice and a surge of power coursed through her. She rather enjoyed his desperation and experimented by rotating her hips on his. It felt so good, she did it again. She continued her movement, keeping her eyes on his face, watching his every expression. It wasn't until he pulled her down for a kiss and pressed his thumb against her clit again that she realized she was close to an orgasm. She stiffened, and the feel of him so hot and hard and big inside of her convalesced into her most intense climax yet. She reared back and screamed, "YES! AH!".

"Yeah," he grunted and shoved up inside of her. She watched his face as it contorted, his eyes narrowing into tiny slits as he pulsed inside of her. This was unlike anything she'd ever thought about. It was this living thing…between them, this intimacy and newness, and yet it was a culmination found between people for thousands of years.

He was breathing hard, his hands on her bottom as he thrust his hips forward, fast and hard like a piston. It stretched her and hurt a bit, but mostly, she loved the experience, and when he finally came, hugging her to him in an almost bruising grip, she tried to breathe, tried to catalogue as much as she could. It wasn't easy, but in her mind, she recognized the pattern of his breathing, the slick slip of his now flaccid penis from her core, and the spasms of his muscles.

And when he collapsed against the pillow and tucked her hair behind her ear, she met his eyes. They were dark and hooded and full of possession. "You're looking at me as if you own me," she observed.

He tensed.

"Don't be mad," she whispered. "It's a natural response. You took my virginity. Anthropologically, it makes sense that you would now have a misguided sense of responsibility and possession."

Seeley's mind whirled. Her words didn't sync up with the sweet release of her body. He wasn't sure what in the hell his eyes had said, but he also wasn't going to admit that she was right. Hell yes, there was a part of him that wanted to tuck her in beside him and never let her leave. Hell yes. "I think what we just shared is more than just anthropology."

Temperance considered his words, especially that he'd used the word shared. Once again, she was reminded that intercourse and sex functioned on intimate levels. The experience they'd had was meaningful for him as well as her. A part of her found that intimidating, but she pushed that aside as best she could. "I don't mean to mess this up. What…what is next?"

Seeley felt like a jerk, and he pulled in a breath, tucking her to him and kissing her lips. "Now, we can rest a bit. Sleep, and…see what happens." He stared into her eyes, and noticed the moment she accepted his words. He kissed her again, glad when her hands crept up to his shoulders. With a soft grunt, he leaned forward and tugged the blankets over them, cocooning them in a soft warmth before he reached over and turned off the side table lamp.

"Thank you," he thought he heard her whisper against his chest. Whether it was because of the blankets or the sex they'd shared, he wasn't sure.

"You're welcome," he whispered against her head, pressing a soft kiss there. He didn't normally have one night stands, and when he did, he didn't usually curl up against the woman, a feeling of protection rising in his heart.

Hell, maybe her anthropology stuff wasn't completely wrong. He didn't know. All he knew is that in that moment, everything felt okay.

-s&t—

He woke up a few hours later to find her staring at him, her eyes wide and luminous in the darkened room. "Hey," he croaked out, falling to his back. The light sneaking through the curtains illuminated her skin, and he watched the way her hair fell against her shoulders and neck. "Everything okay?"

"Yes," she nodded. "I just find that…" she stared at his chest. "I would quite like to have intercourse with you again. If that's okay with you."

He smiled; he couldn't help it. "It's more than okay with me." With that, he tugged her to him, ignoring her surprised gasp when he rolled on top of her, pinning her beneath him. He could tell he'd surprised her, but when he pressed his mouth against her throat, she didn't complain. Her legs fell open around his, and her hands clutched at his shoulders. "Mmmmm," he encouraged, pressing more kisses against her soft skin. He kissed her shoulders and arms, leaving small nips on the insides of her elbows, watching as her nipples tightened at the same time. He knew that about her, and he knew he'd go to his grave, remembering her. He kissed his way across her chest, teasing her. The first time had been about teaching her, but now, he wanted to make her beg.

His lips nuzzled along the undersides of her breasts, and she ran her fingernails along his back, shifting her hips in an invitation as old as time. But he resisted, smiling against her skin when she grunted in sleepy disapproval.

And he outright laughed when she took his face in her hand and brought his mouth to her nipple. For just a second, he stared at her, and then he gave her what she wanted…what they both wanted. He mouthed her for a second, getting her used to the warmth of his mouth before pulling her inside with a hard suction.

"Yes," she gasped, arching her hips up toward his. "That feels so good."

He was glad to hear her say that, and he brought his other hand up to caress her other breast, running his fingers over her nipple, bringing it to hard attention. She wrapped her legs around his waist and arched up so hard, he could feel how wet she was against his stomach muscles.

With a soft pop, he released her breast, kissing his way down her body in impatience. She made a questioning sound and rose up on her elbows, and he realized she had no idea what he was about to do.

But when his tongue sank into her, he groaned. And her eyes went wide just before her elbows gave out and she collapsed back against her pillow.

"Are you-" He meant to ask if she was okay, but her hand clamped on his head and she pushed him back down.  
"Don't stop" she growled before he could finish his question.

He smiled and did as he was told, kissing and licking her until she quaked in his mouth, spilling all over his tongue.

"Oh…" she cried out when he lifted himself up. And when he kissed her, and she tasted herself, she groaned, wrapping her body around his. Seeley responded by slipping into her, and now it was his turn to groan. She was still so tight, but now that it was her second time, there wasn't any need to go too slow.

He began to thrust inside of her, and she arched back. "I considered using my mouth on you," she stated, nipping at his jaw. "It only seemed fair. But I suppose now that might be sort of a step backward."

The image stuck in the front of his mind, and he closed his eyes and then opened them, forcing himself to concentrate on her. "I'm loving this," was all he could say, and she nodded, tightening around him. He didn't know how she knew exactly what to do, but figured she was a fast learner. Soon, he was coming, panting her name and burying his face against her neck.

Her fingers traced soft patterns along his back, and he knew he was too heavy for her. But for just a moment, he allowed himself to be with her.

_-s&t—_

When he woke up again, it was to streaming light from the curtains and the feel of something soft against his stomach. And then he felt her mouth.

His eyes shot open, and he looked down his body to see her straddling his legs. Her hair fell against his stomach and thighs, so soft…so pretty. And her mouth was running all along his cock, quickly hardening with every flick of her tongue. "Wow," he breathed, and smiled when she smiled.

"You don't…" he tried to tell her. "You don't have to do this, I…ah!" he forced back a cry when she sucked on the head of his cock for a quick second. "Please…" he gasped. "Please tell me you've never done this with anyone else."

When she didn't answer, he looked at her face.

"I've never done it, though I don't know why that matters."

He didn't explain, didn't care if she thought he was a jerk for loving that he was her first.

It was almost embarrassing how quickly she had him completely on the edge. "Um," he rose up on his elbows, the sight of his penis disappearing into her mouth the hottest thing he'd ever seen. "If you don't stop, I…"

She pulled off of him and wrapped him in her hand, pulling on him. So tight and so wet. When he was breathing normally, she took him in her mouth again, sucking lightly, so light that he remained on edge for several minutes. Damn, she was good at this.

It made him wonder if she'd lied to him. But in that moment, he felt so sure that she hadn't. She didn't seem the type. "Temperance, baby," he gasped, rocking his hips forward. "I need more."

Temperance was tempted to keep sucking him until he reached orgasm. But she also wanted to watch him. She moved away, sitting at his side, using her hands on him in steady, tight pulls. He was leaking, like he had the night before, and she noticed that his testicles were drawn tight, close to his penis. He was making soft grunting noises, and she wondered if all men did that, or just him. And entranced, she watched as the head of his penis seemed to get darker and bigger. He warmed in her hand, and she felt him pulse before he spasmed, hard, as nearly opaque fluid escaped him a fast rush. He hissed out a breath and cursed, rocking his hips up and down in a rhythm she did her best to follow. When he settled on the mattress, she picked up the sheet and wiped off her hands and his belly.

He grunted and grabbed her arms, pulling her toward him. He pinned her to him with one leg, trapping her body to his as he kissed her hard, smoothing one of his hands between her legs. Temperance gasped as he slid two fingers inside of her and his thumb began to swirl around her clit. He thrust his fingers into her at the same tempo of his tongue against hers, slow and easy.

His eyes were wide open and on hers, and just before she orgasmed, he pulled back, staring into her eyes. The realization that this was the last moment between them coursed through her, and she clenched her entire body against the reality. But it was as futile as holding back the exquisite storm of pleasure from his touch. And she came, her lips parting around his name and her body closing in on his touch.

His eyes darkened, in the same possession as before, and she felt almost sad.

But as their breaths slowed and their bodies cooled, she knew she didn't have regrets.

-s&t-

Soon it was time to leave, and she sensed him watching her as she dressed. When he picked up her backpack, she shook her head.

"I can carry it."

He tugged it. "I'm carrying it."

His jaw was set, and he offered no discussion. Slightly annoyed, she turned her back to him and pulled her hair back up into a ponytail.

"And I'm driving you back to campus," he added.

Temperance whirled around, a frown on her face. "That's not necessary. I can take a cab."

He didn't even say anything, just stood up and looked at her. Temperance noticed the way his eyes narrowed, and she nodded. "Fine."

He motioned toward the door, and just as he was about to close it behind him, she watched as he looked into the room. An expression she'd never seen on anyone's face crossed his features, and she wondered what he was thinking. But soon, it has passed, and he was closing the door. He offered her a small smile then. "I'll buy you breakfast too, if you want."

Temperance shook her head. "No thank you. I really do need to just get back to my dorm."

The silence between them was awkward as he drove through the city. When he parked outside her dorm, he put his car in park and got out, moving around the front to catch up to her.

"I can carry my own backpack inside," she insisted, holding it close to her chest.

He raised his hands. "I know. I just…I just wanted to say goodbye."

"Oh," she nodded. There was something about that moment that filled Temperance with a bit of dread. She knew she wasn't good with people, but for one night, she'd seemed to fit in, and…she wasn't sure that would ever happen again in quite the same way.

"Well," he was saying and he swallowed, his jaw jutting out a tiny bit. "Maybe we'll see each other around sometime." The minute the words were out, he knew they were crazy. Hell…

"That's highly unlikely," she answered, not in a judgmental way, but only as if presenting a logical fact. "The odds are quite slim, given the fact that-"

"—Hey," he cut in, forcing a slight smile. "What were the odds we'd meet this week, hmmm? But we did."

Her eyes narrowed, as if she were in fact considering the exact odds. For some reason, that stirred something in him, as much as her complete release for him in bed. _Her mind was as gorgeous as the rest of her_, he realized. And before she could say anything else, he cut her off.

"Just…don't forget about me," he whispered, running a finger over her jaw. Her brow furrowed for just a moment and she tilted her head to the side.

"I'm not likely to do that. I understand the significance of your role in my sexual experience. If anything, _you're_ the one likely to forget about me. After all, I'm sure that…"

"I won't," he rushed out in a breath and then shifted his weight from one foot to the other. His eyes darted toward the dorm, and he ran his tongue against the bottom of his teeth. "I won't forget about you…Temperance."

The way he said her name certainly made her feel as if he wouldn't forget. As if the night would be as memorable of him as it had been for her. Her mind was processing that fact and not on the way he was leaning toward her. But she blinked and her eyes nearly crossed when his lips were against hers in a brief but warm kiss.

When he pulled away, he was blushing, and her eyes focused on his face. He cleared his throat and then smiled. "I'll see you around sometime, Temperance."

With a quiet confidence, he took a step back, his smile completely nonthreatening. Temperance felt a numb sensation around the circumference of her lips, and the same sensation in the center of her chest. The odds were incredibly unlikely.

But not impossible.

**-s&t—**

**The end!**


End file.
